Electrical burglar alarm



3 Sheets-Sheet l R, F. WHERLAND Filed oct. 2o.

ELECTR I CAL BURGLAR ALARM May 2o 1924.

so FOB/5R7- F WHERLAND ATTORNEYS.

May 20 1924. 1,494,656

R. F. WHERLAND ELECTRICAL BURGLAR ALARM lvVE/v TORI ROBERT F'WHERLA/vo.

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1,494,656 R. F. WHERLAND ELECTRI CAL BURGLAR ALARM Filed Oct. 2O 1921 3Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTofP/VE Y6.

Patented May 20, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT F. WHERLAND, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA. ASSIGNOR TO WHERLAND IALARM-COMPANY, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

ELECTRICAL BURGLAR ALARM.-

Applicaton led ctober 20, 1921.

To all 'whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, ROBERT F. IVHERLAND, a citizen of the United States,residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State. ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElectrical Burglar' Alarms, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electrical burglar alarms. and an object is toprovide a device suitable for use in banks or other places by means ofwhich an alarm will be caused to operate by a burglar when he attemptsto remove currency or bills from a drawer or from a container on thecounter or in the vault containing the same. Another object is toprovide means by which the alarm will be operated when the burglartampers with the container by attempting to open it or by drilling intothe same.

The full objects and advantages of my invention will appear inconnection with the detailed description, and the novel featuresembodied in my inventive idea will be particularlyY pointed out in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate one form in which myinvention may be embodied,

Fig.'1 is a top plan view of a container. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan viewthereof with a portion broken away to show electrical connections. Fig.3 is a View on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 showing a loose bottom in thecontainerand currency placed thereon. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3showing another form of loose .bottom in place with currency thereon.Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but Showing the currency removed.Fig. 6 is a view in section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a Viewsimilar to Fig. 6 showing how the electric circuit is completed when anattempt is made to pull out the cable of wires from the container. Fig.8 is a View showing a Wiring diagram of a burglar and tire alarm systemcontaining my invention.

Referring to the construction shown in the drawings, I provide acontainer designated in general by the numeral 1() and having a bottommember 12. This container may be located in any suitable place such asat the position occupied by the cashier in a bank and may be of suchsize as to provide any desired number of compartments for containingcurrency, bills or valuable docu- Serial N'o. 509,139.

ments. In the embodiment shown, there are three of these compartmentsdesignated by the numerals 14, 16 and 18, and these compartments areprovided with a talse bottom 20 on the lower side of which is secured ametal plate 22. The'space between the bottom 12 and the false bottom 20is lined with two layers of metal 24 and 26 separated by insulatingmaterial 28. The layer of metal 26 is connected by a wire 3() with a busbar 32 while the outer layer of metal 24 is connected by a wire 34 witha bus bar 36 and the metal plate 22 is connected by a wire 38 with thebus bar 36, all as will be evident from Fig. 2. A wire is connected tothe bus bar 36 and a wire 42 is connected to the bus bar 32, these twowires being part of an electrical circuit connecting with a suitablesource ot electricity and including an alarm or signal device, as willappear later. Secured to the bus bar 32 are three spring tingers 44, 46and 48. the resiliency of which tends to bring their free ends intocontact with the bus bar 36, and these lingers are positioned so as toextend under the middle portions of the compartments 14, 16 and 18respectively. Secured to the free ends of these fingers are upstandingpins 50 which pass through openings in the false bottom 2O so as to becapable of extending for a short distance up into the compartments whichcontain the currency. I provide two forms of loose bottoms such asdesignated by the numerals 52 and 54, these loose bottoms being of, asize to fit removably into the compartments 14, 16, 18, and rest uponthe false bottom 20. The loose bottom 52 is provided with an aperture sopositioned that the pin 50 is adapted to pass therethrough as shown inFig. 5. When currency designated at C is in a compartment having theloose bottom 52 therein, the weight of this currency is sufficient todepress the pin 50 and the fin er 44, 46 or 48 according to the particuar compartment. When the currency is removed, one of these fingers comesinto contact with the busbar 36 as shown in Fig. 5, and bridges the samewith the bus bar 32 so that a circuit is completed with the source ofelectricity to which the Wires 40 and 42 are connected. It iscontemplated that only one of the. loose bottoms 52 shall be used, andthis may be placed in any one of the compartments so as to vary thearrangement as desired. It is intended that the other Cil lll

compartments shall contain the loose bottoms 54. -The loose bottoms 54are not adapted to allow the pins 50 to come up intov contact. with thecurrency but are of suticient weight to keep the, pins depressed.These', bottoms are shown lprovided on their upper sides with dummy pins57 which occupy the position which would be occupied by the pin 50 ifthe bottom 52 were in place.

This makesit impossible to tell by feeling just `which -compartment isthe one into which the pin 50 extends except the currency be firstremoved. In case an attempt is made to drill down into the lower space1n 5 the drawer for the purpose of holding down ling through theinsulation 28 will connect the two metal layers 24 and 26 and sincethese layers are connected respectively with the bus bars 36 and 32 thecircuit will be completed and the alarm will be sounded. Secured to oneend of the bus bars 36 is a spring finger 56 which'extends toward thecorrespondingend of the bus bar 32 so that Y the free end of this fingeroverlaps the free end of a contact member 58 carried by the bus bar 32these two members beingfnormally out of contact due to the resiliency ofthe finger. One end of a cordis se cured to the finger 56 and this-cordpasses through an openin 62 lin the bottom member 12 of the container sothat the other end of the cord may be.readilyincorporated in the cableof wires associated with the compartment. When the wire 60 is thusattached and an attempt is made to pull out the cable the finger 56 isdrawn into engagement with the contact member 58, thus y,

completing the circuit `and causing the alarm to sound. Thel manner inwhlch the alarm is sounded when a circuit is completed at the containerin any of the ways revlously mentioned will now be described withreference to'hig. 8. The wire 40 is v connected to one side of a battery64 and the .wire 42 is connected to the other side` of this battery.'The wire 42 includes the; coil of an electromagnet 66, the armature 68of adapted to be supplied with current from a c as;

batteryl 7 6 when a switch 78 is closed. This arrangement'allow's thebatteries72 and 76 -the electromagnet.

meaeee to be used interchangeably so that the matter of renewal is aneasy matter. Included in the circuit 70 is the coil of an electromagnethaving an armature 82 which isnormally attracted away from a contactpoint 84 by the passage of electric current through When theelectromagnet 66 previously referred to is energized the armature 68l isattracted, thus breaking the circuit 70 and the armature 82 of theelectromagnet 80v comes into engagement withv the contact point 84. Thiscompletes a circuit 86 in which isincluded a bell lor signal device 88and which is supplied with electric current from a battery 90. A pushbutton 92 may be placed in any convenient position so that the cashiermay close the circuit through the wires 40 and 42 to sound the alarm atany time he may wish. I, have shown a switch 94 in the circuit 70 andwhen this switch is open, the current can no longer pass directlythrough the circuit 70 but will be caused to pass through a-shuntcircuit 96 joined with the'portion of the circuit 7 0 connected with theelectromagnet 80. Fuses such as 98, 100, and 102 placed in the shuntcircuit are effective in case of fire inl case'the switch 94 is open tocut oi current from the electromagnet- 80 and thus cause the alarm to besounded. Av switch `104 is placed in the circuit of the wire 42. This.-switch may be an ordinary switch and it Y changes the loose bottom 52from one` co'mpartment to another, and also when he removes and replacescurrency from the compartment containing this loose bottom.

When the currency lis removed from this compartment, a weight may besubstituted for the currency in order to'hold'the pin 50 depressed, andthus prevent the alarm from continuously sounding. The'container for thecurrency, bills or documents `may be a standard drawer which is chan edonly on causes. the circuiti-through the alarm tobe closed. The alarmboxmay have outer. and inner layers 106 and 108 separated by insulation andconnected respectively with the l wires 40 and42 so that it the alarmbox -is drilled` or tampered with, the circuit -through the 40 and 42be'closed and the previously described.

Referring to Fig. 8, 110 designates a clock which electrically connectsto the circuit of the vault door and which opens to the battery 64compartments and currency is and closes this circuit at the desiredtime.,

No one can tamper with the lock or open the' vault door when the clockcloses the circuit without sounding the alarm. This can only be doneuponu'the arrival Vof such time as the clock is set to open the circuit.A volt meter is designated at 112 which is for -testing the conditions.of the battery while fuses 114 protect the battery in the alarm boxagainst short circuits on the lines leading to thei volt meter from thealarm box. 116 designates a pin which holds the circuit open when thecoil "of the electromagnet-66 has been energized. The alarm willcontinue sounding until this pin is lifted.

A loose bottom 52 is placed in one of the placed upon this bottom in thecom down the pin 50 but this currency is not used by the cashier duringthe day since he uses currency only from the other compartments whichare provided with the loose bottoms 54. Therefore there is no liabilityof the cashier causing. the alarm to be operated when he removescurrency while performing his duties which require him to pay outcurrency or to make change. The loose bottom 52 may be changed fromonejcompartment to another from time to time as desired by the cashierwho is the only onewho knows the particular arrangement with the resultthat other persons attempting to remove currency will take it from thiscompartment as well as from the other compartments and hence cause thealarm to be operated. When the currency placed on the loose bottom 52 isremoved, the particular one of the spring fingers associated with thecompartment is permitted to engage the busbar 36 whereby a circuit iscompleted from thebattery 64 through the wire 42 including theelectromagnet 66, the busbar 32, the particular spring finger justreferred to, the bushar 36 and back through the wire 40. When theelectromagnet 66 is thus energized. the circuit 70 is broken. thusallowmg the armature 82 of the electromagnet to come into engagementwith the crontact point 84. This completes the circuit 86 connected withthe battery 90 which leads through the alarm 88, thereby causing thelatter to be operated. Since the metal plate 22 is connected by the wire38 with lthe busbar '36 as shown in Fig. 2 if this metal plate isdrilled through for the purpose of reaching one of the spring fingers44, 46

partment to hold` and 4.8 for the ,purpose of holding down theparticular finger, then the busbars 32 and 36 will be connected throughthe wire 38, the metal plate 22, the metal of the drill and the springfinger, thereby completing the circuit as just described. Since theouter layer of metal 24 of the container is connected by a Wire 34 withthe bus bar 36 and the lnner layer of metal 26 is connected by a wire30, with the busbar 32, if these layers of metal be drilled through thebusbars will be connected through the metal drill and the circuits willbe completed as stated above.

I claim:

l. An electrical burglar alarm comprising a container with compartmentsfor receiving currency, a false bottom in said container, two bus barsbelow said false bottom, spring fingers secured to one of said bus bars,an alarm and upwardly projecting pins secured to the free ends of saidfingers, and adapted to extend through openings in said false bottominto such position that the weight of the currency in any one ofthecompartments will depress the corresponding one of said pins and theremoval of said currency will allow Said pin and the associated fin r torise and bridge said bus bars for complgeeting an electrical circuit tooperate the alarm.

2. An electrical burglar alarm comprising a container with compartmentsfor receiving currency, a false bottom in said container, two bus barsbelow said false bottom, spring fingers secured to one of said bus bars,an alarm upwardly rojecting pins secured to the free ends ci) saidfingers and adapted to extend through openings in said false bottom intosuch position that the weight of currency in any one of the compartmentswill depress the corresponding one of said pins and the removal of saidcurrency will allow said pin and the associated lfinger to rise andbridge said bus bars for completing an electrical circuit to operate thealarm, a metal plate secured to the lower side of said false bottom anda connection between said plate and the bus bar which is adjacent saidpin whereby a circuit will be completed when said plate is drilledthrough so that the alarm will be operated.

3. An electrical burglar alarm comprising a container with compartmentsfor receiving currency, a false bottom in said con tainer,.two bus barsbelow said false bottom, spring fingers secured to one of said bus bars,an alarm upwardly projecting pins secured to the free ends of saidfingers and adapted to extend through openings in said false bottom intosuch position that the weight of currency in any one of the compartmentswill depress the corresponding one of said ins and the removal of saidcurrency will) allow said pin and the as- .loo

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sociated finger to rise and bridge said busbars for completing anelectrical circuit to operate theralarm, a lining consisting of twolayers of metal separated by insulation in the space below said falsebottom, a connection between one of said layers and one of said busbars, and a connection between the otherl of said layers and the otherof said bus bars whereby a circuit will be completed when said lining isdrilled through so that the`alarm will be operated.

4. An electrical burglar alarm comprising a container with compartmentsfor receiving currency, a false bottom in 'said contalner, two bus barsbelow said false bottom, spring fingers secured to one ofsaid bus bars,an alarm upwardly projecting pins secured to the free ends of saidfingers and adapted to extend through openings in said false bottom intosuch position that the Weight of currency in any one of the,compartments will depress the corresponding one ofsaid ins and theremoval of said currency wili) allow said pin and the associated lingerto rise and bridge said bus bars for completing an electrical circuit tooperate the alarm, another spring finger secured to the bus barv whichis adjacent said pin, a contact member secured to the other bus bar insuch position as to be engaged by the free end of vsaid spring fingerwhen the latter is depressed, and a wire secured to said spring fingerfor depressing the same to complete the circuit and operate the alarmwhen an attempt is made to pull out the cable.

5. An `electrical burglar alarm comprising a container with compartmentsfor receiving currency, a false bottom in said container, two bus barsbelow said false bottom,

spring fingers secured to one of said bus rency will allow said pin andthe associatedl finger to rise and bridge said bus bars for completingan electrical circuit to operate the alarm, a loose bottom adapted to beplaced in any one of said compartments between said false bottom and thecurrency, said loose bottom having an opening through which said pin isadapted to extend, and

loose bottoms for the other compartments, said last mentioned loosebottoms being adapted to hold the associated spring fingers in depressedposition so that currency may be removed without operating the alarm.

ln testimony whereof I hereunto afx my signature.

' ROBERT F. WHERLAND.

